Social worker called mistakenly

Windorah · 17-02-2020 5:38pm

I have fairly semi-regular contact with Tusla and other social workers through work. Trust me when I say children playing in a front room while a parent works upstairs is the very least of their worries. I am often shocked at the things that would be considered "below the threshold" for action.
First thing that came to my mind is criminal gangs scouting houses...

Strumms · 17-02-2020 5:50pm

carq wrote: »

all jest aside

To my mind the odds of them being burglars are low.
Never heard of a 2 women burglar gang, never mind one that went back to the 'scene' straight after they see someone enter the house.

Maybe they were looking for Mr X

Two woman, probably unlikely burglars true, but likely scoping you, your family and property for the ‘lads’, very possibly.. I just run any unsolicited callers, if they claim to be from some government agency, ID first, note it, then say it’s not convenient, you want to be written to in detail and an appointment may be scheduled, if at first refusal they persist... door gets slammed and Gardai called.... your property, your home, your family, your rules, forget government, they are to facilitate you not the opposite.

Sunrise_Sunset · 17-02-2020 6:06pm

triona1 wrote: »

Op have you 2 daughter's?
My reason for asking is i had similar but I have a daughter and 3 son's and they have sat outside my home

So i had a Male and female

Hi, just wondering more about this question? Why would 2 daughters be any different? Thanks.

17-02-2020 6:13pm

Please remain calm OP- you’ve told everyone that’s important to tell.

It’s very possible they were social workers and if they weren’t then Garda have been alerted- tell your neighbours there’s suspicious behaviour potentially also in the area and they will keep a watchful eye.

And tell your husband to make you a nice cup of tea- I think you deserve it after the day you’ve had- ya poor thing, don’t be worrying

triona1 · 17-02-2020 6:25pm

As like garda a male and female are required

If you have a son and daughter then Male and female are required.

triona1 · 17-02-2020 6:31pm

As above Tulsa can do what they like as O'toole said it may have been but it sounds exactly like what happened me,i can't quote as im on my phone.

triona1 · 17-02-2020 6:50pm

They have looked for what they needed you will get a letter in the post with a date when they want to visit and you confirm your available they will show id then.Its up to them now sorry but by all accounts you have done nothing wrong.

17-02-2020 7:49pm

Sounds strange...I’d say be worth giving local Garda station a buzz..no harm in reporting it..

Sunrise_Sunset · 17-02-2020 11:03pm

Deleted User wrote: »

Please remain calm OP- you’ve told everyone that’s important to tell.

It’s very possible they were social workers and if they weren’t then Garda have been alerted- tell your neighbours there’s suspicious behaviour potentially also in the area and they will keep a watchful eye.

And tell your husband to make you a nice cup of tea- I think you deserve it after the day you’ve had- ya poor thing, don’t be worrying

Thanks, yeah I posted in the neighbourhood whatsapp group too to make the neighbours aware.

Sunrise_Sunset · 17-02-2020 11:05pm

triona1 wrote: »

They have looked for what they needed you will get a letter in the post with a date when they want to visit and you confirm your available they will show id then.Its up to them now sorry but by all accounts you have done nothing wrong.

So you're saying that social workers sat outside your house? And that these could have been 2 social workers sitting outside watching my house?
But then they approached my door under false pretences, is that even legal for them to do?

triona1 · 17-02-2020 11:12pm

It happened me,but look at my boards account, yes they did my kids are now 16(daughter)son's aged 18 21 24 i can't hide my account on boards but they done exactly what you and I typed
Social worker had me as following on fb.

Sunrise_Sunset · 17-02-2020 11:46pm

triona1 wrote: »

It happened me,but look at my boards account, yes they did my kids are now 16(daughter)son's aged 18 21 24 i can't hide my account on boards but they done exactly what you and I typed
Social worker had me as following on fb.

I can't believe this, this is insane.
The only person who I could think of as possibly reporting me is my Dad as we are estranged and not on good terms at all, and he was trying to get contact with my kids but I won't allow it. Maybe he's lashing out by contacting them about me, trying to cause more havoc in my life.

triona1 · 17-02-2020 11:49pm

Yup i don't know what to say, x

triona1 · 17-02-2020 11:53pm

Less said Tulsa following me on fb.i don't mind putting it here ill even post their names as they are done thats Tulsa for you.
Mods im not going to post name's of Tulsa

Strumms · 17-02-2020 11:58pm

triona1 wrote: »

It happened me,but look at my boards account, yes they did my kids are now 16(daughter)son's aged 18 21 24 i can't hide my account on boards but they done exactly what you and I typed
Social worker had me as following on fb.

As crap as that is, FB it’s public material so nothing really to stop them, physically or in law to the best of my knowledge. Putting their feet on your property is different. Private up your FB so only your friends can see and access info. Tell social workers that visiting should only be done with a prior agreed appointment..

Purple Mountain · 17-02-2020 11:58pm

Ring Tusla to verify they were legit.
I'm sure they would have had to show you ID.
Give them a good description of the 2,the car they drove and the names they gave.
I mean come on.. First they say they're looking for another person then they come back and change their story?
I'm not buying it.
And yes women are involved in criminal gangs.

Purple Mountain · 18-02-2020 12:00am

Sorry, I just saw now you rang Tusla.
This is highly suspicious as a criminal activity.
Did you get any number plate?
Any neighbours with CCTV?

triona1 · 18-02-2020 12:04am

All my kids matter to me but my ty1 that hurt jesus it near killed me and then my husband, oh they'll get you if they get an inch .im going to pm a mod to maybe stop me posting in an open fora,so as you know I can't say pm but ty1 or lti fora ill be.

dartboardio · 18-02-2020 12:04am

I'd put money on them being criminals just trying to scope out houses.

Dont worry op. You've told the relevant authorities now!

They definitely weren't social workers, they'd be too busy and wouldnt have the time or even be allowed just knock on some random persons door to ask if their kids are home alone just because they seen them in the window!

Probably trying to see if houses are empty.

triona1 · 18-02-2020 12:06am

Dart, yep they can

jam_mac_jam · 18-02-2020 12:06am

If they were social workers then Tulsa wouldn't tell you to contact the Garda.

SusieBlue · 18-02-2020 12:08am

Yeah it was definitely false pretences, why would they assume that the kids were home alone when you could have been sat in the kitchen at the back of the house or hanging out the washing or something?
It’s a bizarre conclusion and a total overreaction, it sounds like a really implausible excuse of faux concern cause they were just checking out the area for other purposes.

dartboardio · 18-02-2020 12:08am

triona1 wrote: »

Dart, yep they can

Not in this context. As op mentioned earlier they only enquired were the children alone on their second knock.

The first knock, they asked for another person that doesn't live there.

This shows its bull**** and they weren't social workers.

A social worker isn't going to go out on a job to 'Mary's' house, and on the way pull in to a house down the road because they seen a child playing in a window alone, that's ridiculous!

triona1 · 18-02-2020 12:10am

Strumm stall the digger ive nothing to hide here i am on boards im telling you i seen that person following me on fb

triona1 · 18-02-2020 12:13am

Only garda get involved when kids are taken out of their homes

triona1 · 18-02-2020 12:15am

Dart please don't ive son's older than you. X

Pauliedragon · 18-02-2020 12:23am

OP I don't want to sound like a prick but I don't think someone with anxiety issues should be online with strangers regarding a situation like this. I'm sure it's nothing serious.

dartboardio · 18-02-2020 12:23am

triona1 wrote: »

Dart please don't ive son's older than you. X

Look just face it, they weren't social workers, and were probably scoping empty houses :V

X

Wildly Boaring · 18-02-2020 12:24am

Highly likely they were scoping estate out.
If so you are sound.

You arrived back unannounced at some random time.
Your husband is working upstairs and no sign of him from outside.

Yours is the last house they'll tackle.

They want houses with everyone away all day.

triona1 · 18-02-2020 12:33am

I no the fright ill leave it at that.

rtron · 18-02-2020 12:35am

Strange how they knocked the first time and rang the doorbell when they knew you were inside.

STB. · 18-02-2020 2:02am

@ OP. I guess you are not going to rest easy until you find out. I'm guessing that the HSE Social Workers are broken up into geographical regions for visits.

Find out where your local office is. Find out that if these people are bona fide.

You should have asked for the ID either of the times they called!!!!

Its likely by their very behaviour, that they were Social Workers. You say that they were at the wrong house firstly. Secondly that they called back to say that they noticed that there were kids in the house and they were wondering if they were left alone.

You should be making a harassment complaint at this stage, anyway that they were at the wrong house and then had the cheek to call back to ask were you kids left alone.

@Triona. Social Media stalking is not allowed to be used by Social Workers as far as I am aware.

JustAThought · 18-02-2020 2:57am

OP I’d let it go. In huge agencies like Tulsa and the HsE/Social Welfare ine hand does not know what the other does, and they certainly are not irganised they way you think wherw someone can make an inquiry like yours and get a definitive answer.

Few years back there was a single woman sitting in a car next door -after about an hour I challenged her & she said she was a social welfare inspector and showed me her ‘bdge’ and ahe was casing out who was living in the house a few doors down. She came back a few days in a row. Could be something like that. Equally it could have been A different section in tulsa who got their database details for a home
check mixed up and printed the wrong name with the wrong address- a simple enough mistake to make.

I wouldn’t be worrying about it ,
you have told your FB neighbours they will also now be on the lookout and ringing the gaurds if something is astray in the area, I would put it behind me.

One eyed Jack · 18-02-2020 3:27am

STB. wrote: »

@ OP. I guess you are not going to rest easy until you find out. I'm guessing that the HSE Social Workers are broken up into geographical regions for visits.

They are, and some regions are better resourced than others.

STB. wrote: »

@Triona. Social Media stalking is not allowed to be used by Social Workers as far as I am aware.

There’s nothing I’ve ever come across that says they’re prohibited from doing so if they have genuine concerns for a child’s welfare, but that’s a whole other topic.

@OP I would suggest you don’t attribute to malice what can be explained by incompetence.

In reality social workers as well trained as they are, will sometimes act without thinking, though they’re acting with the best of intentions. It’s entirely plausible that someone made an anonymous report with a genuine concern for your children’s welfare. In those circumstances social workers will, if they have the resources, call out to investigate.

The optics of what appeared to be your children alone in the house will give rise for greater concern in a situation where there is already a concern for their safety. At that point social workers are thinking more about the children’s safety than showing you their ID, so it’s entirely possible they were a bit lapse in following established procedures at that stage (the difference between learning the theory and putting it into practice is that they hope they’re never in a situation where they have to put the theory into practice).

I can’t guarantee any more than anyone else here can, that you won’t hear any more about it, response times vary greatly depending upon numerous different factors.

Whatever the outcome, and I mean this with the best of intentions, but might I suggest that to alleviate your anxiety somewhat, perhaps you could discuss with your husband a working arrangement where the children are under supervision at all times and aren’t left downstairs on their own. I would be suggesting that anyway even if this, what has to be said were an unfortunate and understandably frightening set of circumstances for you both, hadn’t happened.

TheBoyConor · 18-02-2020 12:13pm

Fann Linn wrote: »

I work in the PS but I'm not a sw or in the HSE. Our child protection officer within my job has advised us however to ring Tusla if we are doing calls and children appear to be 'home alone'.

I did call the gardai years ago when it appeared a toddler was on her own, and I was proved right.

Whether I would do it for older kids I don't know.

That is just arse cover in case something happened and it became known that a government caller came to the house.

Tusla are so incompetent and useless that the kid would be 21 by the time they got around to investigating. And then they would probably call to the wrong house too.

Tusla aren't going to give two seconds thought to random reports of kids left alone. Sure in this country children are allowed remain in abusive households with drunken and junkie parents. It is only in the very most extreme life or death cases are children are taken away - and it involves lengthly court proceedings and reports and pychologists and huge hoops to jump through.

Relax op, you are fine. Tusla are useless and toothless organisation.

TheBoyConor · 18-02-2020 12:16pm

triona1 wrote: »

As like garda a male and female are required

If you have a son and daughter then Male and female are required.

Why a male and a female? I thought 2 females would be enough to reduce and fear and eliminate the risk of suggestions of allegations.

STB. · 18-02-2020 9:30pm

One eyed Jack wrote: »

There’s nothing I’ve ever come across that says they’re prohibited from doing so if they have genuine concerns for a child’s welfare, but that’s a whole other topic.

No its not for another topic.

Just because you have come across nothing, doesn't mean it is okay. Its far from okay infact. You can start by showing the investigatory power and the steps authorising surveillance that social workers have that override service users right to privacy. And its not just an ethical question, its a legal one.

One eyed Jack wrote: »

In reality social workers as well trained as they are, will sometimes act without thinking, though they’re acting with the best of intentions. It’s entirely plausible that someone made an anonymous report with a genuine concern for your children’s welfare. In those circumstances social workers will, if they have the resources, call out to investigate.

But that is not what occurred in this case. They were caught stalking out a member of the publics house. They then approached this person, two minutes after they had entered their house looking for a named person. From what I can tell no ID was shown.

They were told that they were at the wrong house. They then called back sometime later as they noticed there were kids in this house. They were not aware that there was another parent in the house. The complaint was not made about the person they had called into. They had no business calling back to that house. They over reached. They should have been told to get lost.

One eyed Jack · 18-02-2020 11:15pm

STB. wrote: »

You can start by...

I can start by suggesting you take your own advice. I don’t owe you anything.

STB. wrote: »

They should have been told to get lost.

I’m done here now.

STB. · 18-02-2020 11:20pm

One eyed Jack wrote: »

I’m done here now.

Thanks for dropping by.

Dravokivich · 19-02-2020 11:01am

triona1 wrote: »

Dart please don't ive son's older than you. X

Mod

Attack the post, not the poster.

Sunrise_Sunset · 21-02-2020 5:50pm

Update;

Turns out my area is a huge target for break ins at the moment. There have been many break ins and many attempted break ins. They are also waiting for people to return home to do so, I guess hoping that they don't lock the door after them as they go in. There was also an article about it in the journal today. The gardai are aware.
I guess that in my case it's quite likely the people that knocked were the front people for these burglars.

Thank you to everyone who offered good advice.

Mod if you can lock this thread, as it's not a Parenting issue after all.
Thanks.

22-02-2020 11:58am

Thanks OP- they've some brass neck on them, especially as they returned to your house the second time.

I'm alway suspicious of people sitting in cars that are unknown to me in my area and have no problem approaching them and asking them their business in the area, especially if right outside my house.

A description of the women and the car they used would be helpful in the short-term.

Social worker called mistakenly

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